The Night Mail

[SM42]

Well the dreaded trip to MH was cancelled.

Stayed local instead, and have just had a man round to quote to add a west wing to SM42 Towers by converting the junk room AKA garage

 

There is a good chance I may more  than double my modelling space before Christmas. 

Only a shame is I have had to sacrifice a bit to the utility room. 

 

Blast you domestic appliances!

 

Currently have the house to myself for a couple of hours, but my modelling mojo went out with Mrs SM42. 

Hope she brings it back

 

Andy

Edited October 2, 2021 by SM42

[Happy Hippo]

5 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

Hmmm........whilst we still need expert confirmation from a tame(ish) Punk Rocker, Bear would hazard a guess that it bears (see what I did there?) an uncanny resemblance to Ex-Lax.  I'd hold fire before scoffin' it if I were you - those RAF types can be pretty dastardly you know.....

No fear of such vicious underhanded behaviour from the hallowed Sqn Ldr, he bravely took a piece at random and ate it.

 

This meant I did not have to take the precautionary measure of dropping Ispaghula husks into the coffee I made him.

 

 

[SM42]

9 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

No fear of such vicious underhanded behaviour from the hallowed Sqn Ldr, he bravely took a piece at random and ate it.

 

This meant I did not have to take the precautionary measure of dropping Ispaghula husks into the coffee I made him.

 

 

 

But was it random? Or just had the appearance of random?

 

Andy

Edited October 2, 2021 by SM42

[pH]

An interesting article:
 

https://washingtonmonthly.com/2021/08/09/amtrak-joe-vs-the-modern-robber-barons/

 

It gives a different view from usual of the current state of US railroads and their possible/probable future direction. It’s not as rosy as the railroads say publicly.

[Florence Locomotive Works]

2 minutes ago, pH said:

It’s not as rosy as the railroads say publicly.

Nothing ever was….

Edited October 2, 2021 by Florence Locomotive Works

[Happy Hippo]

12 minutes ago, SM42 said:

 

But was it random? Or just had the appearance of random?

 

Andy

I shuffled them and gave him a slice.

[Dave Hunt]

You know what the old saying is, Bear - less haste, less cake. And you don't suppose for one minute that the PADS wasn't in full detection mode before the first slice disappeared down HH's cakehole do you?

 

Actually, we spent a pleasant couple of hours shooting the breeze and discussing most things from inter-service matters to Western Region layouts quite amicably. There was even mention of Pa**ier tanks without any adverse reaction. Must be mellowing with age.

 

Dave

 

*Pachydermal Antisquits Detection System       

[Tony_S]

2 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

Ispaghula husks

One of the brothers in law (the one who doesn’t find trains interesting) went to New York a few years ago. At customs/immigration in Brooklyn he presented one of his suitcases that was full of packets of isphagula husk. This was a weeks supply for him but he was concerned about what the officials might think. He was slightly concerned when the officer said he needed to bring a colleague over. However it was because he thought he might be interested, having a “problem” that such a product would help. 
Tony

[simontaylor484]

22 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

And they have a very tight orifice so that they stay afloat. Allegedly better sealed than a Yorkshireman's wallet.

 

Jamie

My kids say my wallet is going to be declared an SSSI for the unique diversity of moths that reside within

[Dave Hunt]

The worst boss I ever had was so tight fisted he was awarded the descriptor Wallet Access Not Knowingly Ever Required. Mind you, the acronym wasn't only used to refer to his unattractive financial character.

 

Dave     

Edited October 2, 2021 by Dave Hunt

[SM42]

I give up.

 

Whilst channel hopping, I have stumbled upon the Christmas music channel

 

Chris Rea is currently driving home. 

 

 

Merry Christmas everyone

 

Andy

 

[PhilJ W]

2 minutes ago, SM42 said:

I give up.

 

Whilst channel hopping, I have stumbled upon the Christmas music channel

 

Chris Rea is currently driving home. 

 

 

Merry Christmas everyone

 

Andy

 

He must have found a filling station that still had petrol then?

[SM42]

6 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

He must have found a filling station that still had petrol then?

 

Not so sure.

He seems to be stuck in a queue 

Top to toe in fact, in those tailbacks.

 

Andy

[Florence Locomotive Works]

Evening all,

 

Work has gotten busy recently as (I may have said before) I have workbench and am now able to use the electric sorting system. So today my job was to resecure a movement into a case that had come loose (undersized screws, bad owner repair I think). This entailed removing the movement, and drilling out the holes in the rear panel of the case, before plugging these with wooden rod. These then got drilled out and the movement reinstalled. All in all it took 4 hours as many difficulties were encountered, mostly pertaining the to the separate alarm movement and it’s linkage. 
 

The engine is now receiving preliminary piping, currently held on with poster tack. The copper ones are the steamlines to the cylinders and will not be painted, but polished. The brass one, err, not sure what that does.

 

Its also received a roof which is hinged. The chimney is also moving along.

 

 

 

 

 

The cylinders are carved from hardwood and have brass tube inside them to take the fake piston rod.

 

Douglas

[Happy Hippo]

Well, the point building demo at yesterdays exhibition consisted on me cutting out the Templot plan and sticking it together and then taping it to the cutting board.  This was followed by a sleeper chopping session and these were also stuck down onto the plan with the aid of a Prit stick.  I then started cleaning up some rail and beginning the construction of a crossing nose, and that was as far as I got.

 

However, there were lots of queries regarding the RSU and the NWSL 'Chopper' which had been used for the sleepers.  We also answered a lot of general model railway questions, none of which were remotely related to scratch building wagons or building track.

 

One gentleman turned up with a live steamer that needed repair, so I suppose it was somewhat lucky I was there.  I've got his phone number and will make some enquires as to the availability of some spares:  It needs the smokebox door hinge repaired and a new spring steel catch.  A friend of mine in North Wales, NHN knows him, may have some in his scrap box.  This would be much cheaper (and quicker) than having to make all the parts from raw materiel.

 

At the end of the show I was asked if I would take a layout next year.  This is not a problem, due to the fact that the venue is only about 3 miles from the Hippodrome.  however, noting Dave's willingness to talk about Western Region and pannier tanks without turning Puce, I have offered him a place on the operating team.

 

If he accepts then, I'll know he is struck with Pannieritis.  A non-curable condition, which fortunately is easily treated with regular injections of GW go-go juice.

 

In other news, as I has yesterday 'off', I am  now required to carry out all sorts of domesticatis maximus tasking.  This will probably include a short detachment to a garden centre.

 

 

 

 

Edited October 3, 2021 by Happy Hippo

[Winslow Boy]

1 hour ago, Happy Hippo said:

Well, the point building demo at yesterdays exhibition consisted on me cutting out the Templot plan and sticking it together and then taping it to the cutting board.  This was followed by a sleeper chopping session and these were also stuck down onto the plan with the aid of a Prit stick.  I then started cleaning up some rail and beginning the construction of a crossing nose, and that was as far as I got.

 

However, there were lots of queries regarding the RSU and the NWSL 'Chopper' which had been used for the sleepers.  We also answered a lot of general model railway questions, none of which were remotely related to scratch building wagons or building track.

 

One gentleman turned up with a live steamer that needed repair, so I suppose it was somewhat lucky I was there.  I've got his phone number and will make some enquires as to the availability of some spares:  It needs the smokebox door hinge repaired and a new spring steel catch.  A friend of mine in North Wales, NHN knows him, may have some in his scrap box.  This would be much cheaper (and quicker) than having to make all the parts from raw materiel.

 

At the end of the show I was asked if I would take a layout next year.  This is not a problem, due to the fact that the venue is only about 3 miles from the Hippodrome.  however, noting Dave's willingness to talk about Western Region and pannier tanks without turning Puce, I have offered him a place on the operating team.

 

If he accepts then, I'll know he is struck with Pannieritis.  A non-curable condition, which fortunately is easily treated with regular injections of GW go-go juice.

 

In other news, as I has yesterday 'off', I am  now required to carry out all sorts of domesticatis maximus tasking.  This will probably include a short detachment to a garden centre.

 

 

 

 

 

I see no mention of cake scoffing amongst that list of tasks undertaken. No wonder you were unable to complete the task assigned to you. Sounds like a nice little jolly if you ask me and now that you have a 'wingman' I can for see lots more 'diversions/skives off'. Does the good lady of the Hippodrome realise what skullduggery is afoot?

[Tony_S]

2 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

We also answered a lot of general model railway questions, none of which were remotely related to scratch building wagons or building track.

I was once asked to look after the NMRA stand at an exhibition (Leytonstone) while the people who knew anything about American trains went for lunch and a look round the exhibition. Fortunately the person who came to make enquiries was actually interested in scenery techniques .

 

[AndyID]

One of the lakefront houses here is a second home for a family in California. I think they would like to live here year-round but their daughters are still in school in CA. Very nice people and always very friendly.

 

I talked to him a couple of months ago. They were about to head back to CA. I asked him if he'd had the covid vaccination. He said he had not yet but he'd get it when he returned to CA.

 

Yesterday we heard that he has covid and he's not doing at all well. Both of his lungs are affected. I think he's only in his mid 50s.

[bbishop]

I'm having my booster tomorrow.  Bill

[Happy Hippo]

Either Gaugemaster have done some work on the Heljan spares pages or I've finally worked out how to get the loco diagrams and the spare part numbers.

 

Now I need to pass these on, along with a list of other stuff I want from them as Morgan's partner Charlotte, does all the ordering for her father, who has a trade account with them.

 

 

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, bbishop said:

I'm having my booster tomorrow.  Bill

I have seen the local clinic where the original vaccines were administered has started up again. The people going in at present seem to be the very elderly. I know some relatives in London who were vaccinated early have had their booster. 

[PhilJ W]

I had to remind them that I was due for my second jab. If I don't get called in for the booster by the end of this month I'll have to contact them.

[Dave Hunt]

9 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

......... noting Dave's willingness to talk about Western Region and pannier tanks without turning Puce, I have offered him a place on the operating team.

If he accepts then, I'll know he is struck with Pannieritis.  A non-curable condition......

Don't worry - both Astra Zeneca and Pfizer are in the process of developing vaccines against Pannieritis that enable those vaccinated to look at, and even operate, such machines but to maintain a healthy devotion to crimson lake.  Whether face coverings will be necessary is still undecided though.

 

Dave

[BSW01]

This is my first post on this thread and I suspect that it won’t be my last. I think most folk on here know me. Anyway, the reason for my post is to show off what me and Ava, my 13 year old granddaughter, have been building over the last few Saturday’s. It started off as a down loadable kit, which has since been heavily modified to make it more prototypical, although it is still not 100% accurate, but it’s closer than the original kit was. 

 

The windows above been scratch built using 0.5mm clear plastic sheet and lots of small pieces evergreen plastic strips of various sizes, the rest is made from paper and card. 

 

 

The brass wires that can be seen in some of the wall panels, will be used for the feed to the lighting that will eventually be fitted inside, once the shed is completed. The panels will eventually be joined together to form 2 long walls, each of 8 bays each making the building just over 27 inches long!

 

This evening, I bought a loco kit from the bay of fleas. I’d been watching it for some time and it had been re-listed a few times and I received an offer of a 10% discount, so I succumbed to an offer!

[Tony_S]

21 minutes ago, BSW01 said:

Anyway, the reason for my post is to show off what me and Ava, my 13 year old granddaughter, have been building over the last few Saturday’s

Thank you for posting it. I was wondering what it looked like.